The Regnitz is a river in

Franconia Franconia (german: Franken, ; Franconian dialect: ''Franggn'' ; bar, Frankn) is a region of Germany, characterised by its culture and Franconian dialect (German: ''Fränkisch''). The three administrative regions of Lower, Middle and Upper Fr ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. It is a left tributary of the

Main Main may refer to: Geography * Main River (disambiguation) **Most commonly the Main (river) in Germany * Main, Iran, a village in Fars Province *"Spanish Main", the Caribbean coasts of mainland Spanish territories in the 16th and 17th centuries ...

and is in length. The river is formed by the confluence of the rivers

Rednitz The Rednitz is a long river in Franconia, Germany, tributary of the Regnitz (more precisely: its southern, left headstream). The Rednitz is formed by the confluence of the rivers Franconian Rezat and Swabian Rezat, in Georgensgmünd ( district o ...

and Pegnitz, which meet in the city of

Fürth Fürth (; East Franconian: ; yi, פיורדא, Fiurda) is a city in northern Bavaria, Germany, in the administrative division (''Regierungsbezirk'') of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the t ...

. From there the Regnitz runs northwards through the cities of

Erlangen Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...

and

Forchheim Forchheim () is a town in Upper Franconia (german: Oberfranken) in northern Bavaria, and also the seat of the administrative district of Forchheim. Forchheim is a former royal city, and is sometimes called the Gateway to the Franconian Switzer ...

. It finally meets the Main near the city of

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castle. C ...

. Including its source rivers Rednitz and

Franconian Rezat The Franconian Rezat (german: Fränkische Rezat) is a river in southern Germany. It is the western, left source river of the Rednitz. It rises in the Franconian Heights near Oberdachstetten. It flows generally east through the towns Lehrberg, ...

, it is long, providing the furthest source (and hence length) of the Main's river system, the largest and longest right bank tributary of the river

Rhine ), Surselva, Graubünden, Switzerland , source1_coordinates= , source1_elevation = , source2 = Rein Posteriur/Hinterrhein , source2_location = Paradies Glacier, Graubünden, Switzerland , source2_coordinates= , so ...

. Small portions of the Regnitz near Bamberg are incorporated into a canal connecting the Main with the

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , pa ...

: the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal, which otherwise runs parallel from Bamberg to Fürth. Between Fürth and Forchheim many

noria A noria ( ar, ناعورة, ''nā‘ūra'', plural ''nawāʿīr'', from syr, ܢܥܘܪܐ, ''nā‘orā'', lit. "growler") is a hydropowered ''scoop wheel'' used to lift water into a small aqueduct (water supply), aqueduct, either for the purpos ...

s for drawing water up were used from the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

until the 19th century. Some are still there or were reconstructed. The origin of the name is uncertain. The first written evidence of the name refers to a large farm on the river. It is first mentioned in a Latin document from 1160 as Rekinzi. It may be based on Slavic Rakonica ('crab river').

Sources

*Bogner, Franz X. (2007): ''Rednitz und Regnitz. Eine Luftbildreise von Weißenburg bis Bamberg''. Verlag Fränkischer Tag, Bamberg,

References

{{Authority control Rivers of Bavaria Federal waterways in Germany Erlangen-Höchstadt Forchheim (district) Bamberg (district) Rivers of Germany